Economic & social Costs Of VAWG, Pakistan Summary Report April 2019

This report summarises the key
findings of the What Works to
Prevent Violence: Economic and
Social Costs project relating to
Pakistan. It provides an overview
of the social and economic costs
of violence against women and
girls (VAWG) to individuals and
households, businesses and
communities, and the national
economy and society. Findings
show the heavy drag that VAWG
imposes on economic productivity
and wellbeing, and the need to
invest urgently in scaling up efforts
to prevent violence.

The author(s)

CONTEXT OF
THE STUDY
Violence against women and girls (VAWG) is widely recognised as a
violation of human rights and a challenge to public health. VAWG also has
economic and social costs that have not been adequately recognised.
These costs not only impact individual women and their families but
also ripple through society and the economy at large. The threat VAWG
poses to the social fabric of the country and its impacts on economic
development have not been adequately investigated, analysed or
quantified in Pakistan.
This research helps to explore the tangible and intangible costs of violence to individuals, families,
communities and businesses. It demonstrates the economic case for investment by government and
donors in the prevention of VAWG.
In recognition of the dearth of knowledge on these impacts and costs, the UK Department for
International Development (DFID) funded research to investigate the social and economic costs of
VAWG in Ghana, Pakistan and South Sudan (2014–19), as part of its wider What Works to Prevent
Violence research and innovation programme. A consortium, led by the National University of Ireland,
Galway, with Ipsos MORI and the International Centre for Research on Women (ICRW) in collaboration
with the Social Policy and Development Centre (SPDC), conducted the research to estimate the
economic losses caused by VAWG as well as the non-economic costs of violence that impact on
economic growth, development and social stability in Pakistan.